President Donald Trump has claimed, without providing evidence, that Virginia’s election was “rigged” after a referendum to redraw the state’s congressional maps narrowly passed.
With most votes counted on Tuesday, the bill passed by a narrow margin, with 51.45 percent in favor and 48.55 percent opposed. The outcome could significantly change Virginia’s representation in the U.S. House of Representatives, potentially benefiting Democrats.
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Trump’s comments came after Wednesday’s results, which are expected to face legal challenges.
“There was election fraud in the Confederacy of Virginia last night!” Trump wrote in a post on TruthSocial.
“The Republicans won all day long and the spirit was incredible. Of course, until the very end when massive ‘mail-in voting’ took place!” Where have you heard that before – and the Democrats won again with a skewed victory! 6-5 becomes 10-1, but the November presidential election was still very close to a 50-50 split,” he continued.
Trump has made similar claims without evidence since the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Joe Biden. Courts and election authorities confirmed the results.
part of a broader political struggle
Virginia’s results are being closely watched nationally as both Democrats and Republicans seek to shape their congressional maps ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
Redistricting, the process of drawing district lines, can directly impact which political parties win seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Democrats are positioning the move as a way to counter Republican-led efforts in other states to redraw the maps in their favor. Republicans, meanwhile, argue that the process in Virginia raises concerns about fairness and transparency.
The results could still be subject to legal scrutiny. The court is expected to consider challenges to the referendum’s introduction and wording and decide whether it is clear to voters.
Opponents say the bill may not have followed proper procedures and that the language on the ballot could be misleading.
The Virginia Supreme Court previously allowed the vote to proceed, but indicated it might reconsider these issues if the bill passes, leaving the outcome uncertain.
President Trump also criticized the wording of the referendum, saying he had “no idea what it was saying” and urging the courts to intervene.
Redistricting typically follows the decennial census, but President Trump last year asked Republican-led states to redraw their maps in mid-decade to protect their fragile House majorities. This triggered a tit-for-tat battle, with both sides racing to squeeze out further advantages by November.
Control of the U.S. House of Representatives depends on winning at least 218 seats, the simple majority required in the 435-member House.
“Democrats are on the brink of our ratings magic number of 218,” Kyle Kondik, editor-in-chief of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said in a statement to Al Jazeera.
“But there are other dominoes that could fall on redistricting, especially in Florida, where Republicans could meet in a special legislative session next week and try to squeeze additional seats out of the state.”
Democratic-backed groups invested heavily in the contest, making it one of the nation’s most expensive battles over electoral maps.
Spending on both sides approaches $100 million, much of it from so-called “dark money” groups, nonprofits that can funnel large sums of money to political campaigns without disclosing their donors.
